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PLAYA DEL REY – The St. Bernard football field simply glistened on Wednesday night.
New jumbo video scoreboard. Revamped stands. Bright yellow jerseys with chrome blue helmets. A dramatically improved playing field.
“We filled in like 500 gopher holes,” St. Bernard first-year coach Manuel Douglas said, laughing.
The on-field product was quite impressive too.
St. Bernard showcased its young talent and burgeoning athleticism in a 58-28 nonleague victory over reigning L.A. City Section champion Birmingham on Wednesday night, giving Douglas his first victory helming the Vikings after turning Narbonne into a City powerhouse.
“We have a chance to build here,” said Douglas, who won nine City crowns and two State championships at Narbonne. “They’ve had some good teams here, but we’re trying to create a legacy. We’re trying to build a program that can compete at a high level.”
St. Bernard (1-2) flexed its muscles early.
Terrell Cooks broke a 75-yard scoring run on the first play from scrimmage and finished with 153 yards on seven carries,
Cincere Rhaney rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries.
Football final: St. Bernard 58, Birmingham 28. Coach Manuel Douglas gets his first win at St. Bernard. @breezepreps @LAVarsity pic.twitter.com/1hw33lrOns
— WS Champion Ciniglio 🌶 🥑 🌶 (@TCiniglio) April 1, 2021
Freshman quarterback Darius Curry and senior quarterback Jackson Dadich each threw a pair of touchdowns, and Zacharyus Williams caught touchdown passes of 40 and 17 yards as St. Bernard scored the game’s first 39 points.
“We’re trying to change the culture here,” Rhaney said. “We had a good time. We’re building a good program, and we are trying to reach a different tempo.”
A highlight of the game came when Curry hit Larry Turner on a quick out pass at the 1-yard line. Turner then pitched it to 6-foot-4, 315-pound lineman Clemone Kennedy for a rumbling 1-yard touchdown.
Talk about a jumbo package.
“We put that play into practice this week,” Kennedy said. “I was ready. I was fired up. If I am going to get a chance like that, I’m going to take it. It was wide open.”
Birmingham (0-2) was coming off a tough 28-27 loss to Calabasas in its opener.
Palisades transfer Forest Brock was 16 for 44 for 219 yards, three touchdowns and an interception for Birmingham.
Arlis Boardingham caught six passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Delamonte Barnes and Tyler Smith added rushing touchdowns for Birmingham, which opens West Valley League play next week against El Camino Real.
Birmingham coach Jim Rose has never shied away from playing top competition and liked how his team clawed for 28 points in the final 1.5 quarters.
“Our guys did not give up, and that’s what you can take away from this one,” Rose said. “In a weird year, this is a hard game. Even in a normal year, this is a hard game.
“But we want to play teams like this. Better athletes will show our weaknesses, and our MO is to get better after each game.”
The game served as a reunion for Dadich and Birmingham. Dadich served as Birmingham’s starting quarterback during its 2019 City title run and had transferred to St. Bernard.
In his first play from scrimmage in the second quarter, Dadich hit Terrell Bradshaw for a 53-yard touchdown pass. He also connected with Williams for a 17-yard touchdown pass.
“It was great playing them. I have nothing but love for those coaches,” said Dadich, who made sure to shake Rose’s hand after the game.
St. Bernard had dropped a pair of games in different fashion – a 56-0 loss to rising powerhouse Sierra Canyon and a tight 28-24 loss to Loyola last week.
Douglas said St. Bernard is still looking for an opponent for next week.
In an unusual season, Douglas told his seniors during an impromptu halftime ceremony that they were “Bernard Boys for Life,” much like his “Bonne Boys for Life” mantra at Narbonne.
“It’s a process,” Douglas said. “We still have a long way to go, but this was a huge step tonight. We’ve got young kids, and we have a chance to build something here.”